Hacibektas

You're likely to find Hacibektas a bit boring and unexceptional—unless you're there for the lively festival celebrating the town's spiritual namesake in mid-August. Haci Bektas Veli founded a Muslim sect here in the 13th century that was a synthesis of Sunni and Shiite thought, blended with a touch of Christianity. He became the spiritual leader of the Janissary warriors of the Ottoman Empire and gained a following of dervishes (Bektasis or Alevis) as well as some considerable political influence. The three-day festival celebrating him begins on August 16th each year and is a colorful, popular affair with Sufi dancing and music in the streets. The souvenir shops sell trinkets with pictures of Atatürk, Haci Bektas, and the Imam Ali.